title: Estrogen replacement therapy decreases plasma adiponectin but not resistin in postmenopausal women.
abstract: The effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) to cardiovascular disease risk are still unclear. Low adiponectin and high resistin plasma concentrations are reported to be associated with atherosclerosis. However, it is not known how ERT affects plasma adiponectin and resistin concentrations. Seventy-three hysterectomized, nondiabetic, postmenopausal women were randomized in a double-blind, double-dummy study to receive either peroral estradiol valerate or transdermal 17beta-estradiol gel for 6 months. Biochemical measurements were determined from samples taken before and after the therapy. Peroral estradiol valerate therapy decreased adiponectin concentrations from 13.6 to 11.6 mg/L (P = .008), whereas transdermal 17beta-estradiol gel had no effect (12.7 vs 12.2 mg/L). Neither treatment changed the resistin concentrations significantly. Plasma concentrations of estradiol and estrone did not correlate with adiponectin or resistin concentrations before or after therapy. The change in adiponectin concentration correlated significantly with the changes in waist-hip ratio, very low-density lipoprotein triglycerides, and insulin-like growth factor 1 in the peroral estradiol valerate group. The changes in these variables and the change in estradiol concentration explained 43.1% (P = .001) of the variability in the change of plasma adiponectin, the change in very low-density lipoprotein triglycerides being the strongest determinant (beta = -.407, P = .011). The results show that peroral ERT can decrease plasma adiponectin levels. However, ERT does not seem to influence plasma resistin concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Clinical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, 90220 Oulu, Finland. anne.kunnari@oulu.fi
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kunnari
authors.forename: Merja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santaniemi
authors.forename: Maarit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jokela
authors.forename: Anna H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
authors.forename: Olavi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ukkola
authors.forename: Y Antero
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Kesäniemi
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; C499624:RETN protein, human; D052243:Resistin; D014280:Triglycerides; C030106:very low density lipoprotein triglyceride; D004958:Estradiol